Album Review: Miles Kane - 'Colour Of The Trap'

Having been doubted throughout his career so far, and accused by many of riding on a certain Monkeys’ coattails, 'Colour Of The Trap' is the sort of gritty, dirty rock and roll that we need, in our current deluge of manufactured pop and pointless club anthems.
Capturing all the elegance and smut if the 1960s, Miles Kane sends us hurtling back to that era, not so much all guns blazing, but all riffs blazing. Opening with second single 'Come Closer' the tone is distinctly set somewhere between Walker Brothers-esque crooner and King of Rock and Roll.

Followed swiftly by 'Rearrange', with its sheer sex appeal (if a song can have sex appeal) wetting the appetite for what’s to come, it rolls into the gentle swoon of 'My Fantasy', easily one of the best tracks on the album. With backing harmonies provided by Noel Gallagher, Kane’s usually apparent Liverpudlian growl melts into a heart-wrenching plea to a lost lover, it feels very similar to the work of his previous outfit, The Last Shadow Puppets.

'Happenstance' provides the albums Gainsborg/Bardot moment, as French actress Clemence Posey provides beautiful breathy vocals to this duet. Another highlight, which sets the album off on a downhill tangent following lead single 'Inhaler'. While all the technical skill is there in the guitars and song writing, it just gets a bit repetitive after a while. Sure his brand of 60s rock sits nicely in our country’s musical rut, it would be nice if Miles had found a nice modern take for it.

That’s not to say that the rest of the album is awful. Just filler, sadly, giving the impression that Kane is a one-trick-pony. But take the closing, title track 'Colour Of The Trap', more crooning from Kane, that just sets the closing of the album perfectly. It swoops and swishes around the head, leaving you begging for more, and erasing all memories of the not-so brilliant moments. And on further listens, the album grows further.

'The Colour Of The Trap' is an album packed full of perfect pop songs, with the odd filler, that come festival season, and a lad-rock gap to fill, Miles Kane will have some of the best rock and roll tinged pop anthems to grace our lowly fields.